veneer nightmare!!!

[Susie]

I would appreciate some advice. Around four years ago I had four veneers put on my upper front teeth at the advice of dentist. The work was done on the NHS. The reason was because i had some acid erosion which was causing sensitivity and some very slight staining due to the porosity of the teeth. Keen to have a perfect smile back i agreed and was happy with the result. However a few months later, problems started and a couple came off within a short space of each other and had to be replaced, another was replaced again in a year and i have just had to have a temporary composite veneer as yesterday evening my front tooth lost a veneer. I am not using my teeth to open bottles etc or grinding my teeth etc.. Today i queried the skill of my dentist-he was not there-so i had another guy do my temporary-only to be told there was a very high failure rate with veneers. I was never told this or i would have left my teeth as they were. I am very upset by the whole thing. I have to go back on Tuesday to see my dentist, i guess to get my veneer replaced-again!!! The stand in dentist said i might want to discuss a crown as i am not getting on with veneers-there is no way i ever needed crowns, if i have to resort to this then i feel the dentist really has wrecked my teeth and been negligent. I have always had a nice smile, now i just dread the next thing to go wrong with these veneers. I don't know what i should be asking my dentist or telling him. I am getting legal advice but at the end of the day i still have a problem to sort out. I am getting married abroad this year and can imagine the distress of losing a veneer in that situation. Any comments would be much appreciated!!!

[Dr Pav Khaira]

Dear Susie,
I can understand your frustrations., but I don't think its the fault of your NHS dentist. The NHS is not geared towards correcting the problems you describe and the veneer labs they can use are very restricted. Veneers actually have a very high success rate when done well. The fact you have had so many failures over such a short time tells me something is wrong. I do see this problem all the time when people look for veneers to be done cheap or go abroad to have work done. This is not to say all cheap veneers or those done abroad are bad.

You need to have the veneers replaced with quality ones and the cause of the problem diagnosed correctly, otherwise the failures will continue

I hope this answers your questions

Kindest regards

[Susie]

Do you think there is any chance I will be able to get an NHS referral to a specialist dentist considering the problems I have had???

[Dr Pav Khaira]

There is no problem with refering but it is unlikely to be done within the NHS. I don't think you need a specialist, it sounds like you need to see a good private dentist who has access to better materials and technicians and an excellent understanding of materials and mechanics.

I hope this helps

[Susie]

Yes, thanks. Obviously I have a problem as if the NHS don't offer any funding I have to sort this problem out myself-which in my opinion i shouldn't have to do as I wouldn't have had the veneers done in the first place. Bu the way I am based in Birmingham. Are you allowed to make recommendations of dentists???

[Dr Pav Khaira]

I'll send you a private message in a moment

[cheddar]

Hi Susie

I have to say I know a little of what you feel however I was instantly upset with the single veneer done by my dentist on the NHS. I was led to believe that it would be a great idea, would match my natural teeth etc..

Having looked into veneers myself and also looked at my dentists website showing excellent work and examples of veneers they had done I had every confidence in her. I was then shocked the instant I looked at it. It was bulky, stuck out slightly, did not match my other teeth well at all and was quite a bit longer than the tooth next to it.

I gave her my opinion and she simply shrugged her shoulders and said it was the best she could do....what she needed to add onto the end of that sentence is '.....on the NHS'

I think the problem here is that when we see or think of veneers we imagine them being done WELL ie by a proficient and experienced Dentist with the Veneer(s) created by a good lab as well. However once you venture into veneers done on the NHS they are done by a dentist who you usually have no idea of their experience and in a very basic lab.

What these Dentists need to do is have better communication with their NHS patients and explain they can do a veneer however it is NOT going to be to the standard or of the quality that you will get from a good, experienced Cosmetic Dentist. That is where the problem lies.

I am now (thanks to this site) aware of this situation and am now paying an excellent Cosmetic Dentist to sort out the veneer for me, Again like you if I had known what the NHS work would have been like I would probably have not bothered at all. But its done, tears shed and frustration and 50 hour working weeks to pay for it later and I am on the way to getting it sorted.

I hope NHS dentists read these stories one day and realise the upset they cause to some of their patients, NOT from poor work but from poor communication. I for one when I go back to my regular dentist for a check up will be happy to show her what good veneers look like lol

[Dr Pav Khaira]

Cheddar, what you just said is music to my ears! You obviously understand the huge limitations of the NHS and that quality is key, not the cheapest option! If you look for the cheapest option you will look to have the veneers replaced much sooner and do more damage to your teeth. Quality dentistry last much longer and so the long term investment is less.

[kylehill]

3 months ago I had 4 veneers fitted on the nhs, at first i wasn't too chuffed because I felt my treatment had been really rushed. But afterwards I was really happy to have my smile back as such.

But today, when I was eating lunch and one veneer came off and I chewed and swallowed it. It was horrible!

So susie, how long does it take for them to replace it? Do they keep your mould on file? And how much does it cost on the nhs to have one replaced? Will I have to apply for funding again? Your advice would be much appreciated.

[welshrach1]

I have a similar problem. On the NHS when i was 14, my dentist shaved my front two teeth down so that they were tiny and applied veneers. I had such a bad experience, as i didnt know what to expect or understand the treatment, and was left at 14 with two front teeth tiny for 2 weeks, i have returned to a dentist only for emergency appointment for toothache. I now am in the position 10 years on that the veneers have slipped down slightly and i need them replacing. I know my parents were not with me at time of the consultations-i was a teenager, and i feel i have been left with lasting problems, which were not explained to me. I am now a junior doctor and know that i would not even consider treatment of that nature without fully informed parents present. I now need to replace them and am considering going abroad to do so. Is there anything else i can do?

Thanks